TRDCJ appeals for 'mutual peaceful co-existence'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Jiribam, November 05 2015:
Tribal Rights Demand Committee, Jiribam (TRDCJ) has clarified that the committee along with the other organisations who have submitted a memorandum for up-gradation of Jiribam to a hill district has "no negative intent" and asserted that TRDCJ was not constituted to serve the political interest of a group of people as alleged by Jiribam District Demand Committee (JDDC) .
In a statement, TRDCJ Chairman R Hmar said that the committee was confused when JDDC made an allegation on the October 30 that a particular political party is keen on granting the revenue district if it comes to power.
The TRDCJ was mandated to address the plight of the tribals in Jiribam sub-division in a public meeting and takes decision only in consultation with tribal apex bodies, said R Hmar.
R Hmar alleged that 100 hectares of tribal land in Zaironpokpi village had been taken by the State Government and other tribal lands may be further acquired by the State Government.
A full fledged revenue district is a further threat to tribal village land, he pointed out.
"The desire for a ' Full fledged Revenue District ' shows that Jiribam is not fully revenue land as there are vast tracts of hills and 18 hill villages paying hill house tax", said R Hmar.
TRDCJ questioned how tribal land could come under a full fledged revenue district and asserted that it was apprehensive of losing more tribal lands.
With the scraping of the powers of our village chiefs and the removal of Tribal Development Blocks in Jiribam, all that the tribal villages have now is their remaining land, pointed out R Hmar.
In the absence of schools and with extreme negligence of the State Government, there has been no development so far in the Jiribam tribal areas.
The tribal peoples still practicing Jhum cultivation and gathering vegetables from the hills as part of their source in-come, stated the TRDCJ chairman.
The TRDCJ appealed all to acknowledge the needs of the tribals in order to foster peaceful co existence.
"The complete disregard for the feelings and the lifestyle of the tribals in Jiribam can be detrimental to the ideal of mutual peaceful co existence," Hmar added.